The property upon which the Mansion of La Hulpe sits was granted to the Societe Generale by King William I of the Netherlands in 1822, then bought in 1833 by the marquis Maximilien de Bethune, a board member for the Societe. A few years later, in 1840, de Bethune had a castle built in the style of the French Rennaissance.
Several owners lavished attention on the castle and its surrounding park over the next century, bringing in premier architects and landscape experts to refine their prized posession. By the time Ernest-John Solvay bequeathed it to the state in 1972, it had become quite a marvel.
The castle itself is not open to the public, but is used for seminars, conventions, and the like. The 20 hectare park surrounding the castle is open to the public daily.
Phone: +32 / 02 653 10 20
Fax: +32 / 02 652 05 81